


Perfect Date

by Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Disasters, Ernesto is a creep, F/M, Fem!Hector, Genderswap, Male!Imelda, Perfect Date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 14:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16874730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness/pseuds/Violet_Rose_Of_Darkness
Summary: All Isaiah Rivera wants is to plan the perfect first date with his wife after nearly a century. Was that too much to ask? Male!Imelda, Fem!Hector, Requested





	Perfect Date

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This was a request I got by PenWoman. The request was:
> 
> "What I think of a situation where Female Hector and Male Imelda are going out to spend their first anniversary for the first time in nearly 100 years. Male Imelda is going over his plans and he wants to make sure that everything is perfect and the family is stunned to see him so fidgety and nervous except for Coco who she is smiling in assurance for her Papa. Female Hector will look absolutely gorgeous in her new dress that been bought by Victoria and Rosita.
> 
> "They go to the restaurant that Male Imelda goes to with his family and he thought it's the perfect place for his wife to enjoy. At first, everything is going smoothly. But then, there was an interruption every now and then, a fan wants Female Hector an autograph, screaming and squealing fans, haters, but the worst of it all...Ernesto showed up and ruined it all."
> 
> Without further ado, here's the story! I hope you all enjoy it!

Isaiah Rivera was, for the first time in ninety-seven years, nervous. This much was apparent to his male family members.

Felipe and Oscar eyed him as he paced around the kitchen. "Isaiah, what are you so antsy about?" asked Oscar in exasperation. "This is your wife, hermano."

Felipe nodded. "You're acting like you did when you first asked her out on a date," he agreed. "You're not sixteen anymore, remember? You're a grown man. It's just a date."

Isaiah turned to them sharply. "It's not just a date!" he stressed, running his fingers through his usually-neat dark hair. "It's our first anniversary date in almost a century!" His fingers lingered on the one streak of gray in his hair and mentally winced. He was old, much older than his wife anyhow. She had died at the tender age of twenty-one, he at seventy-five.

Since they were all dead and he had only been a year older than her when they were alive, it shouldn't have mattered much to him. But, somehow, it did.

Oscar rolled his eyes. "Helene would be happy with literally anything," he pointed out.

"As long as it has music," added Felipe.

Julio, who had not said anything in the last ten minutes, was watching the family patriarch intensely. Never had he seen the man as anything less than stoic and controlled. He was the strength of the Rivera's, the one that had done everything he could to protect his family. This much had been made clear when he had threatened to bury Julio alive if he ever hurt his darling Coco.

Julio stayed silent, not wanting to get in the crossfire of the patriarch's rage.

Isaiah glared at them. "This is much worse than that!" he insisted.

The twins sighed. "Look, if you're-"

"-really worried about this-"

"-why don't you just-"

"Either one of you speak or speak in unison!" snapped Isaiah. He wasn't in the mood to deal with their twin antics. He had a perfect date to plan!

"Recreate your first date?" they finished, backing away from him slightly. While their brother had never hit them, he was still a very intimidating man.

Isaiah's eyebrows went up as he relented a bit in his ire. "¿Qué?"

"You remember your first date, no?" asked Felipe.

At their brother's nod, Oscar continued, "Then do something like that. It's something familiar to Helene and something you know she'll enjoy."

Isaiah hummed in thought. "Our first date, I took her to Armonía y Amor," he recalled.

"We go there at lot now," realized Julio, speaking up for the first time. As much as he was afraid of upsetting the family patriarch, he couldn't deny that his curiosity was peaked. Isaiah never spoke about Helene before Miguel reunited them, so no one ever got to hear their stories.

His father-in-law nodded. "When the owner died, he opened the same restaurant here," he explained. "As much as I always hated that they play music there, that family was good to me when I was raising Coco. I couldn't ask them not to since that's part of the reason it's so popular."

The twins looked relieved. "Sí," said Felipe a little too quickly. "She'll love that."

"Es perfecto," agreed Oscar. They just wanted their brother to stop worrying and get to getting ready for his date already. Not only was seeing him stressed stressing them out, both Isaiah and Helene deserved to be happy after being forced apart of ninety-six years.

Isaiah seemed to be debating this internally. "Alright," he finally decided. "That sounds like a plan."

Oscar and Felipe breathed a sigh of relief.

OoOoOo

"Is... Is this really necessary?"

Victoria gave her a pointed look. "Of course it is, Abuelita," she insisted sharply. "You can not wear that on your first date with Abuelito in almost a century."

Helene tugged on her dress, slightly insulted. "What's wrong with my dress?" she asked. She might have understood if she was still wearing her tattered dress from before, but her dark blue dress was long gone, replaced by an identical one with no tears in it. It was really nice- nicer than anything she'd had in the least few decades- so she didn't understand why she couldn't wear that to her date.

"Nothing, Mamá Helene," assured Rosita from the other side of her. She was still getting used to being called that. "But this date is special, no?"

"Sí..."

"So, you'll need a special dress," concluded her daughter-in-law.

Helene still looked a little unsure. "I guess so..." There was a gentle tug on her sleeve and she looked down to see the gentle eyes of her daughter.

"Mamá, your dress is lovely," said Coco honestly. "but you know Papá is going to go overboard with this date. You want a dress that will match that. You want to look back on this day and remember how special it was in your special dress."

Helene huffed, crossing her arms. "This wouldn't be a problem if he would just tell me where we're going," she pointed out.

Coco chuckled at her mother. "You know that once Papá decides something, it's set in stone," she reminded her. "Besides, don't you think a surprise would be nice?"

Helene's pout was soon replaced by a beaming smile. "Our first date was a surprise," she recalled. I think that was the night we fell in love."

Coco smiled up at her mother. It had tore at her heartstrings when she had died to see her parents so estranged with one another. She had remembered them being so in love with each other. She had been doing her best that past year to bring them closer together. She had moved subtly, putting the two in situations where they had to communicate with one another.

Her plan had worked beautifully. That much was apparent seeing as though the two were now on their first date in nearly a century.

Victoria tapped her heel impatiently. "That's all well and good, Abuelita, but we need to get a move on!" she snapped. "Your date is in two hours!"

Helene tilted her head in confusion. "Is that not enough time?" she asked innocently. Victoria slapped her had to her forehead in exasperation.

OoOoOo

Isaiah was, once again, pacing the floor. Only this time, it was in the living room and he was wearing a deep violet suit as he waited for his wife to make her appearance. "What if she finds this idea too tacky?" he fretted allowed, fingers running through his neatly kept hair. "Or what if she finds it boring? We have already gone through this once." He suddenly tensed, turning to face his family with wide eyes. "Dios, we have gone through this once!"

The twins shared worn and exasperated looks while Julio just kept looking on with bemusement clear on his face.

Coco, however, was the one to place a hand on his shoulder. "Papá, relax," she coaxed. "You and Mamá are going to go out and you're going to have a great time. "¿Sí?"

Isaiah stared down at her for a moment before nodding. "Sí."

Something caught Coco's eyes behind him. "Now would be a good time to turn around, I think," she advised, grinning.

Isaiah raised and eyebrow before doing as his only daughter said. Instantly, all the air seemed to knock out of his nonexistent lungs.

At the top of the stairs stood Helene clad in a dress. However, this was not the light blue, casual dress he was used to. No, this dress was a much lighter sky blue. The neckline dropped just above her chest, the fabric clinging to her waist before fanning out a bit below the waist. Her hair- usually unruly and sometimes tangled- had been curled into dark, elegant ringlets.

All in all, she looked absolutely stunning.

Helene met his eyes and was sure that if she still had flesh, she would be blushing. Dios, he hadn't looked at her like that in decades. She forgot how nice it felt. She smiled shyly and kept her eyes trained on him as she elegantly strode down the stairs.

Or, it would have been elegant had she not tripped over her own feet- Victoria and these dang heels, she mentally hissed.

Luckily, it was Isaiah who caught her as she fell into his strong arms. Their eyes never left one another's as her chin lifted and her gaze settled on his very handsome face.

Helene, never one for tack, giggled nervously. "Hi," she said.

Isaiah chuckled at her. "Hi."

Victoria cleared her throat, catching the couple's attention. "I hate to interrupt this beautiful moment, but if you two don't leave soon, you'll miss your reservation," she reminded them.

Isaiah nodded, steadying himself and Helene as he led his wife towards the door. "We should be back in an hour or two!" he called to them over his shoulder.

Helene could not help herself. "Don't wait up!" she added.

Once they were gone, Victoria buried her face in her hands. "Those two will be the death of me," she muttered.

"Uh, Victoria-" began Felipe, but Coco tugged sharply on her uncle's sleeve, effectively shutting his mouth. Victoria was like her grandfather in a lot of ways, one being her quick temper. She had raised the woman and she knew that she cared very little for jokes, especially when she was annoyed.

"Mija, come help me in the kitchen," she coaxed gently, making her way to it. She smiled in satisfaction when she heard the clicking of her daughter's heels behind her.

OoOoOo

Much to Isaiah's relief, the date was going smoothly.

Just as predicted, Helene had been extremely touched by the choice of destination on his part. Although he had worried, Isaiah immediately knew it was the right choice. The familiar location added a touch of nostalgia while also reminding them of the early years of their relationship. When their love was just blossoming. It was perfect and Isaiah wondered why he had ever even doubted the plan.

...

It also helped that Helene loved anything with music.

Nevertheless, the two were having a good time. He was afraid things would be awkward between them, but they were well beyond that point of reconciling their relationship. It seemed they had a million things to walk about; how Helene liked making shoes, how Coco had been adjusting to the Land of the Dead, how long until Victoria had enough of the twins' antics without them, what extravagant meal Rosita would prepare in the morning, etc.

All was going well, until a woman among the many people in the restaurant suddenly gasped. "It's the Rivera's!" she exclaimed, pointing to them.

Suddenly, it was as if everyone's eyes were on them. It seemed as though people stopped what they were doing, every head turning to the couple.

"Dios mío, it is the Rivera's!"

"They're on a date!"

"They're married, idiota! Why wouldn't they be?"

"He actually took her back?"

"More like she actually took him back!"

''Do you think I can get her autograph?"

"Why would you want her autograph?" She's nothing more than an attention-seeking-"

Finally, Isaiah couldn't take it anymore. "Yes, my wife and I are on a date!" he snapped at the annoying customers. "Is that a problem?" The customers flinched back at his anger before reluctantly resuming their meals, each one trying not to glance at the Rivera's.

Isaiah stared them down before catching his wife attempting to contain her giggles out of the corner of his eyes. "Helene," he said sharply, catching her attention. "I can see and hear you."

Helene wasn't phased by this and soon her soft giggles turned into roaring laughter. He crossed his arms impatiently as he waited for her to calm down. She finally did, gasping for hair. "L-Lo siento, Isaiah," she apologized sheepishly. "It's just..."

"Just what?"

Helene grinned bashfully. "You're just so cute when you're angry," she admitted to him.

Isaiah stopped, feeling the metaphorical heat rush to his cheeks. Of all the things he expected her to answer with, that certainly wasn't it. "Oh," was all he responded with.

He was about to say something else, when Helene suddenly scowled, a look that was unfitting her usually grinning face. "Muerte final, llévame ahora," she muttered in distaste, her narrowed eyes trained on something behind him.

Isaiah was about to berate her for saying something like that- especially when she had been so close to the final death just a year ago- when he turned and caught onto why she had said that. His own fists clenched in anger when he saw who was approaching them.

Ernesto de la Cruz had the audacity to stroll up to their table. "Helene, mi amiga," he greeted smoothly. His clothes were torn and tattered and his bones slightly yellowed in comparison to his previously white ones. His hair was also a mess, so unlike the neat style he usually wore.

However, the same cocky, arrogant smirk remained.

Helene glared viciously at the man. "What do you want, Ernesto?" she hissed, voice dripping with loathing and animosity. As far as she was concerned, this man was no longer a brother to her. That had gone down the drain when he had stolen her songs and had been solidified when he had stopped her from going home to her family.

"Just wanted to check up on my old friends," Ernesto replied, turning his attention to the other man. "And how have you been, Isaiah?"

Isaiah could barely keep his rage in check. "I'll be much better when you are out of my sight!" he snapped, his temper getting the better of him as he jumped up from his seat. "Leave, de la Cruz, or-!"

"Or what?" challenged Ernesto, leaning in close to him. "You'll punch me again? Because I was caught by surprise last time. But do you really think you can beat me in a fair fight, zapatero?"

Isaiah practically growled. "Don't tempt me, de la Cruz," he seethed. Ernesto was someone who put him off from the very beginning. He had also suspected that the man's affection for his wife ran deeper than that of friendship. He had ignored it when they were alive-

Helene regarded them both warily. Isaiah was strong, yes, but Ernesto had always been muscular too. While she was confidant her husband would win if they did come to blows, she didn't want him to break a bone. She had before and the pain was worse than when you broke a bone alive. She chalked it up to the fact that there was no skin to hold it together.

And Isaiah's perfectly white bones would probably prove to be a lot more painful when broken.

So, Helene quickly got between them. "Ernesto, leave," she snapped, glaring up at him. "You're just causing trouble. I'm on a perfectly lovely date with my husband- something I haven't been able to enjoy for almost a hundred years thanks to you- and I don't need you sticking your fat chin into it and ruining our good time!"

Ernesto suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to him. "You know why I did what I did that night, Helene," he growled into her ear. "How will your little lap dog over here react when he finds out, hmm?"

Helene froze, her mind racing as she realized what she was talking about. Now, she had never once cheated on her husband-in life or death- but Ernesto could easily twist the situation, just as he always did. Isaiah didn't even have to believe him, but once the seed of doubt was planted in his head, all it would do was grow. It could be the very thing that tore apart their already fragile relationship.

She couldn't let that happen.

Once Isaiah got over his initial shock, he shoved Ernesto away from his wife. "Try that again, de la Cruz, and I'll make my next pair of shoes from your crushed bones," he threatened.

Ernesto shrugged. "I'd like to see you try," he mocked.

The shoemaker lunged at him, only to be stopped by Helene. "Isaiah, please," she begged, looking up at him with her big, round eyes. "He's not worth it. Let's just go."

Isaiah immediately softened and nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Of course, mi amor," he agreed. He sent one last cold glare Ernesto's way. "Stay away from my family, de la Cruz." He led her out of the restaurant- after paying his bill and a little extra for the trouble they caused- and the couple began the walk home.

OoOoOo

They had been walking in total silence for five minutes. Helene refused to even look at Isaiah and Isaiah couldn't take his eyes off of her. Try as he might, he couldn't help but dwell on what de la Cruz had said to him. When he found out what, exactly? What was Helene keeping from him? A pit of fear settled in his metaphorical stomach as he came to the worst possible conclusion.

Before he could voice his fears, Helene finally turned to face him. "I never cheated on you," she promised. "Not with Ernesto or anyone."

Isaiah looked down at her, the couple both stopping in their tracks. "Helene, what was he talking about?" he asked carefully. He trusted Helene, but he couldn't help his suspicions. He had been convinced that his wife had left him for ninety-six years, after all.

Helene sighed, running a hand across her face. "A little before I decided to leave to come back to you and Coco, I noticed that Ernesto was acting strange," she revealed. "He was being possessive, short, and all around, obsessed."

Isaiah gave her a look of concern. "Obsessed with you or obsessed with music and fame?" he asked.

Helene shrugged. "Both? Neither? No lo sé. But I did know it was creeping me out. So, the night before I packed my bags, I confronted him about it."

"And what did he say?"

Helene rubbed the back of her spine sheepishly. "He may have... confessed to me?" she admitted. "Then, before I could do anything, he kissed me." Isaiah winced at that and she was quick to add, "I didn't kiss him back, mind you. I pushed him away and we got into it. He stormed out of the room we had rented and that's when I knew I had to leave."

Isaiah mulled over her words. "I always did have my suspicions about how he felt for you," he told her. "That was why I was so against you going off with him. So many women fell for his charms, I was scared you would too, eventually."

Honestly, he was relieved. When his wife started to inform him of de la Cruz's love confession, he had feared that he tried to force himself on her. Luckily, that wasn't the case. A part of him figured it was better for her that she had tried to leave when she did. If she had stayed with that imbécil for however long they would have, who was to say that Ernesto wouldn't have tried to force himself on her?

Helene gave him half a smile. "Ernesto's okay-looking, mi amor, but you'll always be el más guapo to me," she flirted.

Isaiah chuckled, looping his arm around her waist. "And you are stunning, cariña," he flirted back.

The couple resumed their walk, finally making it back to the Rivera residence. Isaiah sighed as they caught sight of the zapatería. "I'm sorry that de la Cruz ruined the evening," he said, disheartened.

Helene smiled at him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheekbone. "Nothing was ruined," she assured him. "I had fun." She winked. "Besides, it wasn't to far off from our first date, no?"

He smiled at the memory. For one reason or another, de la Cruz had interrupted that date too. If Isaiah had to guess, he would say that was the day that he had learned of his dislike of the musician. "Sí," he responded. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

Helene was beaming up at him. "I'd so kiss you right now, but I could barely reach your cheek," she told him honestly.

Isaiah chortled at her before cupping her face and gently touching his lips to hers. She, in turn, rested her arms on his shoulders. They stayed like that for a total of five seconds before the door to the zapatería swung open.

Victoria groaned. "I did not need to see that," she complained, her lip curling in false disgust. Her grandparents laughed at her before simultaneously pulling her in for a hug, to which she did not object.

Perhaps the date wasn't exactly what he'd plan, but Isaiah had to admit, it was perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> I had so much fun making this. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it- especially you, PenWoman- and please review!


End file.
